Texans secondary looking for redemption

By JEFFREY MARTIN, Copyright 2011 Houston Chronicle

Updated 11:27 pm, Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

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Safety Danieal Manning (38) is one of the reasons the Texans expect improved play in the secondary. Manning and cornerback Johnathan Joseph were free-agent signees after playing last season with the Bears and Bengals, respectively.

Safety Danieal Manning (38) is one of the reasons the Texans expect improved play in the secondary. Manning and cornerback Johnathan Joseph were free-agent signees after playing last season with the Bears and

After being released by Miami last November, cornerback Jason Allen was claimed off waivers by the Texans the next day. When the 2006 first-round selection arrived in Houston, a familiar feeling resurfaced during his first secondary meeting.

"Something I mentioned from the beginning of camp is that we can't get nothing but better," said Allen, who is regarded as a key reserve. "With everybody being accountable to each other, we have to get better as a unit. With everybody being so young, last year was a learning experience.

"We learned a lot."

The whole NFL did, too. As Allen went on to mention, the Texans were last in the league not only in pass defense (267.5 yards per game) but also in opposing passer rating (100.5) and passes defended (35). According to ESPN.com, of the 17 teams that used a 4-3 scheme a minimum of 50 plays in 2010, the Texans were last in every vital pass defense statistic.

Which, of course, seems timely with Indianapolis set to visit Reliant Stadium for Sunday's season opener. The Colts ranked No. 1 last year in passing offense, doing so with Peyton Manning under center.

Manning - you might have heard - is in danger of missing the opener due to lingering back soreness from offseason neck surgery. If he's not suiting up - and something must be wrong, since he's 16-2 all-time against the Texans and threw for 687 yards and five touchdowns in a split of the season series last year - former Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins is there as insurance. And Collins is no slouch, having riddled the Texans for 237 yards and a pair of scores in a 31-17 Titans win in December.

"I'm not sure of the issue with the quarterback," cornerback Kareem Jackson said. "Come Sunday, regardless of who it is, they're going to be ready to play. We have to do what we have to do - be ready to get a win."

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Jackson, the maligned second-year cornerback, is seeking redemption. The criticism from an uneven rookie season has been unavoidable - he insists he isn't worried about the chatter and that it also serves as "fuel to the fire." He said he's "anxious" to show all of the improvements he has made, all of the improvements the entire defense has made.

Mind over matter

He isn't shying away from an all-but-certain aerial confrontation Sunday, which pleases Joseph, who has mentored the young defensive back.

"The game is more mental," Joseph said. "You can have all of the preparation during the week, but once the game is kicked off, the game is physical, sure, but it's mental."

As Allen pointed out, the Texans' pass defense was decent at times. But then a big play would occur, usually at the end of games, which tilted not only the outcome but also the stat sheet. One play in particular - then-cornerback Glover Quin's batted Hail Mary that landed in Jacksonville wide receiver Mike Thomas' hands and led directly to a Jaguars victory - seemed to exemplify the unit's woes.

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Gaining experience

A comparison of the Texans' starting secondary for the season openers in 2010 and 2011:

WEEK 1 IN 2010

Age

Name Starts(at time)

(FS) Eugene Wilson* 73 30

(SS) Bernard Pollard** 44 25

(CB) Glover Quin*** 12 24

(CB) Kareem Jackson**** 0 22

TOTAL 129 101

WEEK 1 IN 2011

Age

Name Starts(at time)

(FS) Danieal Manning 56 29

(SS) Glover Quin 26 25

(CB) Kareem Jackson 16 23

(CB) Johnathan Joseph 58 27

TOTAL 156 104

* Wilson is currently unsigned and is a free agent

** Pollard was not retained by the Texans and is currently with the Ravens

*** Quin was a cornerback in 2010 but is now a safety

**** Jackson was a rookie and the No. 20 selection in the 2010 draft

Better for experiences

But it left a different impression on Joseph, who said he was drawn to the Texans in the offseason because he was intrigued by the secondary's talent.

"You want those kinds of players," he said. "He did what was asked of him. He learned from it. Having moments like that define you as a person, player, and a teammate."

If that's the case, no group of defenders learned more in the past year. How much should be on display Sunday.

"As a group, we're looking at it as an opportunity to show our ability week in and week out," Allen said. "We have a good group of guys. We're excited to showcase what we're capable of."